Disclaimer: Oh, read the last ones.
----------o(O)o----------
I had been crying myself to sleep for a fortnight by the time I worked up the courage to confront Jess. I remembered every disgusting detail of the man she'd had me 'entertain', everything from his short, grey hair with a snow storm of dandruff to the putrid sour smell on his breath. Although his clothes had looked smart and highly priced, they were worn and smelt of that musty smell found in charity shops. It hadn't just happened once, either - for the three nights after that, she had brought him back to the house. Each time I refused, each time I gave in. On the fifth night in a row including the first time, I had slapped him hard enough to leave finger-marks on his crinkled face. He hadn't returned since, and Jess had fumed at me for a couple of days.
"He paid well," she had told me. "He liked you."
Now, I sat upon the sofa in an uncomfortable position, itching to leave the building but knowing I would be caught. Jess was due home any moment and I remember promising her to be a 'good girl' for the next week at least so she could buy me a present. In other words, she had found another customer.
I glanced at the phone but knew I wouldn't be able to call anyone without her knowing. On more than one occasion I had suspected her of keeping an eye on me somehow while she was out. It wouldn't surprise me. Although she was still kind and gentle towards me, if I said something wrong or looked too unhappy she would get an angry glint in her eye and storm out of the room. She scared me so much.
The shaking I was participating in while waiting for her to return proved that. I could hear her nearby, and cowered further into myself as I waited.
----------o(O)o----------
"HOW DARE YOU?!" she screamed at me, an inch away from my ear as I stood with my back against the wall. The light switch dug awkwardly into my back. She took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. "How can you even suggest leaving me now? I've been nice to you, I've fed you and given you nice things…"
"I'm not sleeping with any man you bring to me," I informed her, my voice sounding more confident than my mind was. "I'll leave, you can't keep me here."
"I bloody well can," she spat. The fury in her face was obvious. So, this was what happened when a girl being held pretty much against her will and sold to men frequently asked to leave. "You gonna go back to the streets? You'll get raped, beaten up, killed."
"I won't," I replied defiantly. "You can't keep me here. You can try, but you can't."
It sounded like somebody else talking. How had a plucked up the courage to do this? I would never have dreamt of talking back to anyone a month ago. Of course, circumstances had changed dramatically. I felt powerful, a whole new person, as clichéd at that sounds. It was as though I had changed as easily in nature as in my body shape.
"I'll pay you some of the money," she said, her voice a lot quieter now. "You can have a third, no half of the money I get from the man. You can have a new outfit every week with the money, and I'll buy all your favourite foods all the time. I promise. Would you rather put up with that or live a life on the streets?"
"I don't know," I said, my new me quivering in temptation. The old me was bought already. "I don't want to have to…you know… It's degrading."
"You can use the posh bed," she continued, her long string of promises threatening to break my resolve. "I'll make sure its safe, and I'll even cancel tonight's appointment if you want."
"Alright," I said, without thinking. I was mentally exhausted from trying to convince myself to just leave without asking any more permission. My mouth dropped open ever so slightly in surprise at my acceptance and Jess was so close to me I could taste the flavour of her perfume on the tip of my tongue.
I felt a slender, well-manicured finger trail softly down my cheek and stared at her. She was smiling kindly. "You're sweet," she announced.
"Thank you," I muttered, my mind a blur once again. I was just about to move away, to make my way to the bathroom for a shower, when I heard Jess' breath catch in her throat.
A bubble of dread settled in my stomach as I felt something familiar re-emerge from my forehead. My cheeks tingled. The terror radiating from Jess threatened to overwhelm me.
"What…is…that?"
My fingertips reached and grazed the smooth surface of my horn. So it had chosen the moment to come back. I had hoped it had gone permanently. I looked down at the ground and felt the colour drain from my face in horror.
"You freak," she spat. "What the hell is that horn there for? You some kind of weirdo? Is it real?"
My head was pulled forward painfully as she gripped at it and tried to pull it off. A tear hovered ominously at my eye. "Let it go," I pleaded, half-whispering. She did, and stepped back.
"FREAK!" she screamed. "Get out of my house. Now. No matter how good you are, I am not having a freak in my home!
"Jess - please -"
"No. Get out! You wanted to a minute ago, what the hell is wrong with you? Get out before I throw you out!"
"I can make it go away."
"That makes no odds," she replied swiftly. She pulled out her swiss army knife I had seen her use on more than on occasion and flicked out a sharp blade. I cringed away from her, further against the wall. "I should phone the police. I should get them here to lock you up away from the people. You got a tail too, unicorn girl?"
"No…"
"GET OUT!"
I decided that I was being stupid staying where I was with an angry girl and a knife beginning to advance on me. I pushed past her and fled into the street.
----------o(O)o----------
I had been crying myself to sleep for a fortnight by the time I worked up the courage to confront Jess. I remembered every disgusting detail of the man she'd had me 'entertain', everything from his short, grey hair with a snow storm of dandruff to the putrid sour smell on his breath. Although his clothes had looked smart and highly priced, they were worn and smelt of that musty smell found in charity shops. It hadn't just happened once, either - for the three nights after that, she had brought him back to the house. Each time I refused, each time I gave in. On the fifth night in a row including the first time, I had slapped him hard enough to leave finger-marks on his crinkled face. He hadn't returned since, and Jess had fumed at me for a couple of days.
"He paid well," she had told me. "He liked you."
Now, I sat upon the sofa in an uncomfortable position, itching to leave the building but knowing I would be caught. Jess was due home any moment and I remember promising her to be a 'good girl' for the next week at least so she could buy me a present. In other words, she had found another customer.
I glanced at the phone but knew I wouldn't be able to call anyone without her knowing. On more than one occasion I had suspected her of keeping an eye on me somehow while she was out. It wouldn't surprise me. Although she was still kind and gentle towards me, if I said something wrong or looked too unhappy she would get an angry glint in her eye and storm out of the room. She scared me so much.
The shaking I was participating in while waiting for her to return proved that. I could hear her nearby, and cowered further into myself as I waited.
----------o(O)o----------
"HOW DARE YOU?!" she screamed at me, an inch away from my ear as I stood with my back against the wall. The light switch dug awkwardly into my back. She took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. "How can you even suggest leaving me now? I've been nice to you, I've fed you and given you nice things…"
"I'm not sleeping with any man you bring to me," I informed her, my voice sounding more confident than my mind was. "I'll leave, you can't keep me here."
"I bloody well can," she spat. The fury in her face was obvious. So, this was what happened when a girl being held pretty much against her will and sold to men frequently asked to leave. "You gonna go back to the streets? You'll get raped, beaten up, killed."
"I won't," I replied defiantly. "You can't keep me here. You can try, but you can't."
It sounded like somebody else talking. How had a plucked up the courage to do this? I would never have dreamt of talking back to anyone a month ago. Of course, circumstances had changed dramatically. I felt powerful, a whole new person, as clichéd at that sounds. It was as though I had changed as easily in nature as in my body shape.
"I'll pay you some of the money," she said, her voice a lot quieter now. "You can have a third, no half of the money I get from the man. You can have a new outfit every week with the money, and I'll buy all your favourite foods all the time. I promise. Would you rather put up with that or live a life on the streets?"
"I don't know," I said, my new me quivering in temptation. The old me was bought already. "I don't want to have to…you know… It's degrading."
"You can use the posh bed," she continued, her long string of promises threatening to break my resolve. "I'll make sure its safe, and I'll even cancel tonight's appointment if you want."
"Alright," I said, without thinking. I was mentally exhausted from trying to convince myself to just leave without asking any more permission. My mouth dropped open ever so slightly in surprise at my acceptance and Jess was so close to me I could taste the flavour of her perfume on the tip of my tongue.
I felt a slender, well-manicured finger trail softly down my cheek and stared at her. She was smiling kindly. "You're sweet," she announced.
"Thank you," I muttered, my mind a blur once again. I was just about to move away, to make my way to the bathroom for a shower, when I heard Jess' breath catch in her throat.
A bubble of dread settled in my stomach as I felt something familiar re-emerge from my forehead. My cheeks tingled. The terror radiating from Jess threatened to overwhelm me.
"What…is…that?"
My fingertips reached and grazed the smooth surface of my horn. So it had chosen the moment to come back. I had hoped it had gone permanently. I looked down at the ground and felt the colour drain from my face in horror.
"You freak," she spat. "What the hell is that horn there for? You some kind of weirdo? Is it real?"
My head was pulled forward painfully as she gripped at it and tried to pull it off. A tear hovered ominously at my eye. "Let it go," I pleaded, half-whispering. She did, and stepped back.
"FREAK!" she screamed. "Get out of my house. Now. No matter how good you are, I am not having a freak in my home!
"Jess - please -"
"No. Get out! You wanted to a minute ago, what the hell is wrong with you? Get out before I throw you out!"
"I can make it go away."
"That makes no odds," she replied swiftly. She pulled out her swiss army knife I had seen her use on more than on occasion and flicked out a sharp blade. I cringed away from her, further against the wall. "I should phone the police. I should get them here to lock you up away from the people. You got a tail too, unicorn girl?"
"No…"
"GET OUT!"
I decided that I was being stupid staying where I was with an angry girl and a knife beginning to advance on me. I pushed past her and fled into the street.